


Things That Make It Warm

by CosmicCove



Category: Anime Campaign! (Web Series)
Genre: Found Family, Gen, I've been writing nonstop since I woke up and it's 12:30 now, It jumps around a lot in both perspective and in time, Song fic, god so much found family, inspired by other people's headcanons and Aus and Cavetown, it's soft uwu, takes place over a year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23597488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicCove/pseuds/CosmicCove
Summary: This fic is inspired partially by @perrythedeer and @randomguygoesviral 's AU, and by @doctorsleepytime (On Tumblr) 's RP blog.  It's not connected to either AU completely, but I do recommend that you look into both because they're both super duper awesome!  It's a song fic using the song "Things That Make It Warm" by Cavetown.  Here's a link to the official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcT0lUoNY4E--After everything was settled down with Bliss Ocean, they all got to go home.  Sylvie couldn't wait, even if he lived alone in a cold little house.  Somehow, suddenly not alone, he found it was more like a warm home.
Relationships: Carlton Blubbs & Sylvester "Sylvie" Ashling, Carlton Blubbs/Dirk Chappy, Dirk Chappy & Sylvester "Sylvie" Ashling, Molly Blyndeff & Rick Shades, Noah Finway & Rick Shades, Rick Shades & Bellatrix "Trixie" Roughhouse, Stan Goldstein & Rick Shades, Sylvester "Sylvie" Ashling & Guile Manning, Sylvester "Sylvie" Ashling & Rick Shades, Sylvester "Sylvie" Ashling/Phoenica "Feenie" Fleecity XV
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Things That Make It Warm

_My feathers seem to have taken the brunt of the storm / They are feeling pretty worn_

Sylvie sat next to Rick, on the ride to his house. They were so close now. It was just one bus ride away. Everything was over now. There was nothing to be afraid of now. 

Yet, he couldn’t stop his thoughts from racing. Everything had happened so suddenly, he hadn’t had time to process it, and now that the whole thing had now suddenly ended, it seemed that every thought wanted to be addressed at once. What was he doing out there, fighting terrorists and trying to commit murder? He had felt so grown up before this whole thing, but now he felt so small. He felt like a little kid, and despite how he used to act, was that so bad? He was just twelve. 

God, he had died, or at least, people had thought so, and it was scary. He didn’t want to say it out loud, but it scared him so much. Sure, he was still alive, but sometimes he felt like a ghost. It was the way his friends would whisper when they thought he couldn’t hear, “It just feels so odd to have him back.” “He was alive the whole time?” “It’s like a dead boy has come back to haunt us.” Yeah, it did feel like that sometimes to him too. 

He just wanted to be home so badly, even if his "home" felt more like a cold little house where he lived all alone. He really wished things with his parents were more smooth, but it was what it was. He leaned against Rick. 

“Feeling a little tired?” Rick laughed. 

“You have no idea,” Sylvie sighed. 

“You’re almost home,” Rick told him and tousled his hair, “Just three more minutes.” 

_We finally found shelter tucked away inside a wall / but for now it’s pretty small_

Finally, they were off the bus. They were in the house, too. Oh, Sylvie felt so relieved. He ran straight to his room and bounced onto his bed, burying his face into the pillow to take in the familiarity he had gone so long without. 

Back in the front room, Rick was talking to Chappy and Carlton. “So this is the place, huh?” Rick asked, looking around the room, “It’s nice.” 

“Yes,” Chappy answered, “Carlton and I aren’t much for staying in a place, but we figured that Sylvie could use someone looking out for him, and who better than his uncles?” 

Rick smiled at the pair, “You’ll do great.” 

“And of course, you,” Chappy added. 

Rick looked at them and blinked. “Me?” 

Chappy nodded. “Yes, we heard that you don’t really have a place, and since Sylvie really likes you, we think that it’d be nice for you to stay with us. I mean, we know that the house is pretty small, but…” 

Rick grinned. “Of course!” 

_You and Me, We can make this hole a home_

Chappy and Carlton always went outside to talk. It was their thing. They would hold hands and look at the sky. Right now, Chappy was looking at the stars, with Carlton’s hand firmly in his own. 

“Do you think we made the right decision?” 

“What do you mean?” Carlton asked. 

Chappy shrugged. “I’m not actually sure I can take care of a kid.” 

“Remember, he’s not just some kid,” Carlton told him, “He’s our nephew. Sylvie’s very independent, also. Mostly, taking care of him is making sure he eats and sleeps, and keeping him safe.” 

“I just hope I’m better for him than his parents were,” Chappy murmured. 

“Oh, trust me, that will not be hard,” Carlton reassured him. 

Chappy doubtfully hummed in response. 

“C’mon, we’re going to do great,” Carlton told him, “You’ve got me for when things get tough. I’ll always be here for you.” Carlton leaned over and gave Chappy a kiss on the cheek. 

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. None of us are alone. We’re all in this together from now on,” Chappy agreed, finally smiling again. 

Carlton nodded, “We’re going to make things better.” 

_We can fill it up with grass and all the things that make it warm_

Sylvie wasn't so keen on the idea of living with his uncles, but Rick had convinced him to give it a chance. Sylvie was certain that he would dislike it. He found he was wrong. He enjoyed the company greatly, and they'd do such nice things for him for no reason. Like the morning he got a present just because. 

“What’s all this?” Sylvie asked, gesturing to the table. 

“It’s for you,” Chappy answered, “I remember when you were younger, and I understand that the last time I visited properly was back when you were eight, but you used to love to draw.” 

Sylvie wandered towards the table. Sprawled across it were a couple packs of colored pencils, a pencil sharpener, a few pencils mechanical and otherwise, and a pen. “They’re for me?” he asked. It had been a while since he last got a present just because. 

“That’s what I said, isn’t it?” Chappy answered, giving Sylvie a pat on the head. 

Sylvie stared at the art supplies for a few more seconds, before running down the hall towards the room Rick had been staying in. “Rick, get out here! You should draw with me!” Sylvie called through the door. 

Chappy smiled as he watched. 

_When you leave to go fly across the sea / I’ll be waiting here with Junior and the flowers that we’ve grown_

Carlton didn’t like to be without Chappy, but neither of them wanted Sylvie to be alone if they could help it. Most days, when Chappy left for work, so would Sylvie, so it wasn’t a big deal. Carlton would go with Chappy, and Rick would do whatever it was he felt like. Usually, he visited Molly. 

However, on Sylvie’s days off, Carlton would stay home and make sure that he wouldn’t get into too much trouble. He supposed he often looked a little distant on those days, because once when he was staying home with them, Rick asked him what was wrong. 

“I guess I just miss Chappy,” Carlton answered, “But it’s alright. You can’t always be with someone. Someone’s got to make sure Sylvie stays safe when he’s home.” 

Rick listened carefully. “You know, I could watch Sylvie.” 

Carlton paused, and then nodded slowly. “You know, you probably could,” Carlton agreed, “I’ll have to talk to Chappy about that.” 

_Collecting clumps of sticks and leaves has left me pretty tired / Can I rest with you a while?_

So then it was just Rick and Sylvie on the days that Sylvie wasn’t being a therapist. It was usually pretty fun. Sometimes, they’d go visit Molly and her friends. Phoenica and Sylvie talked a whole lot together, and Trixie often turned to Rick when the spirits were bothering her. Sometimes, they’d stay home and draw and watch cartoons. Sometimes, Rick would work on his newspaper horoscopes, and Sylvie would sit in his room and read a book. 

It was like that today, Rick enjoying the combined sound of his keyboard tapping and Sylvie flipping the pages of his book. Then, the silence broke, which was not something that happened often, but of course Rick was willing to listen. 

“Do you ever feel overwhelmed by everything?” Sylvie asked. 

Rick turned away from his computer. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean, everything that happened with Bliss Ocean. It all happened all at once, and then we just went back to being at home like nothing ever happened,” Sylvie explained, “I don’t like this. I mean, I’m happy to be home, but I don’t want to pretend nothing happened! People thought I died! I thought I died! Sometimes, it still feels like I’m dead, and no one wants to acknowledge it.” 

Sylvie hadn’t noticed that Rick had gotten up during his rant until Rick was hugging him. “I’m sorry we have been ignoring the situation. I guess, for me at least, it is overwhelming so I just don’t want to talk about it.” 

“That won’t make it better.” 

“I know.” 

“I guess I just feel a little invalidated,” Sylvie admitted, “It was all too much, and now I don’t feel like I can talk to any of you about it. It feels like something no one wants to talk about except me.” 

“You can always talk to me,” Rick told him. 

“I know you’re busy with things for work right now,” Sylvie muttered. 

“Whatever, you’re more important than horoscopes,” Rick told him. 

Sylvie looked at him in surprise, but then smiled. “Well, okay, I guess I’ll just start with…” 

_We snuggle up between the stones / Wind blows peacefully_

It was one of those nights where they all actually managed to agree on something. All four of them were on the couch as the last few minutes of a movie played out. Chappy looked at everyone, his gaze unnoticed by the others. Of course, Carlton was holding onto his hand, and snuggled up to him. On the other end of the couch, Rick was smiling, clearly enjoying the movie. Sylvie had fallen asleep, leaning against Rick. Sylvie fell asleep easily due to his epithet, and never made it to the end of anything they did together at night, but that was alright with everyone else. 

“Wow,” Chappy thought, “We did it. Things are actually okay.” 

_There’s no place I’d rather be_

As the movie’s credits scrolled down, Rick picked Sylvie up and carried him to his room. Rick tucked him into bed, careful to not wake him up. Sylvie smiled in his sleep as Rick did so, which made Rick feel all happy and warm. It was kind of like having a little brother, and he would have it no other way. 

He left Sylvie’s room, and went into his own. He’d better get to sleep also. He glanced over to his computer, where the horoscopes remained only halfway finished. He sighed. He’d have to get these done first. He didn’t mind. What he did earlier was way more important than getting work done, so he’d do it now without complaining. 

Chappy and Carlton were outside again. “Sweetie, I think we did it,” Chappy told Carlton. 

“I told you we could,” Carlton reminded him. 

“Yes, I remember,” Chappy said, smiling, “I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

Carlton squeezed Chappy’s hand. “I’m always here for you.” 

“Remember how we said we’d never get a house?” Chappy asked. 

Carlton nodded. 

“I’m glad we didn’t stick to that plan. I know I’d never want to be anywhere else than here.” 

“Me too.” 

_You and Me, we can make this hole a home_

“Look! Look! I drew a picture of you and my friend!” Sylvie yelled at Rick, holding up a sheet of paper. 

Rick grinned as he looked at it. “It looks very good!” Rick told him, thoroughly impressed with Sylvie’s artistic talent. The drawing was of him and another person shaking hands. There was a dark aura where their hands met. It was a picture of Rick making a friendship pact for certain. “Is that Guile?” Rick asked, pointing to the other person in the drawing. 

“Yes! Yes! That’s Guile, my bestest best friend!” Sylvie cried, jumping up and down. He’d generally seemed happier ever since he and Rick had talked. It filled Rick with joy to see Sylvie so happy. Rick never thought, when he first arrived on the surface, that he’d ever be able to call it his home, but he knew now that it was, honestly and truly, his home now. 

That being said, he still missed his undersea home quite a lot. He wouldn’t have to choose between the two, would he? 

_We can fill it up with grass and all the things that make it warm_

Sylvie made Rick hang the drawing of him and Guile up in his room. “You can put it anywhere you want, it just has to be in here!” Sylvie told him. Rick hung it up right next to his computer, so he’d be able to look at it whenever he was working. Soon, his work space was adorned with all sorts of drawings that Sylvie had made him. There were some of him, Noah, and Stan, a drawing of Hat Trick, and a cute drawing of a dolphin. 

Sylvie had taken to hanging up his drawings around the house. He’d draw outlines in pencil, outline them in pen, and then color them in with the colored pencils. They were really good drawings, too, so all three of the others enjoyed having them strewn throughout the house. Various pictures of Carlton and Chappy, as well as other ghosts, were hung up in their room. Sylvie had pictures of Beefton and sheep hung up in his room, as well as a single picture of Phoenica. He would have drawn more of her, but his uncles teased him for having a little crush on her, so he kept it to one. There were a few drawings of Guile and Rick in his room also, because they were his best friends. 

With all the pictures around, it felt even more like home than it had ever before. 

_When you go leave to go fly across the sea / I’ll be waiting here with Junior and the flowers that we’ve grown_

He was only going to be gone a month, but Sylvie already missed Rick dearly. He knew how much Rick needed this though. He’d been so wistful before, visiting the beach a lot and staring out towards the ocean longingly. “I want to see my other family,” Rick had sighed one day, and that was when plans were made. It made Sylvie sad to see Rick so divided on the subject, but it also made him very happy to know that Rick considered them a part of his family. 

The evil plant that Rick gave Chappy and Carlton as a wedding gift had been a table centerpiece for the past year they’d been living together. Now, Sylvie had moved it into his room until Rick got back. He’d been watering it meticulously everyday, something that had previously been Rick’s job. It had a dark aura, and whispered incomprehensibly in the dark tongue, which kind of spooked him, but mostly it reminded him of Rick. Sometimes, he drew pictures of the plant. It was pretty fun to draw. 

He also texted Rick every night. He was impressed that they could connect while Rick was at the bottom of the ocean, but Sylvie had heard that Ocean civilizations were pretty advanced and packed with magic, so maybe it shouldn’t have been so much of a surprise. Sylvie and Rick would text until Sylvie fell asleep with his phone clutched in his hand. He’d always wake up with a message like “I miss you! My parents say hi!” or “Maybe I can take you with me next time. My family really wants to meet you all. I’ve been talking about you guys nonstop!” It would make Sylvie smile. 

That morning Sylvie stared down at his half-eaten cereal. “What’s wrong, kiddo?” Carlton asked. 

“I miss Rick,” Sylvie complained. 

“We all do,” Chappy agreed, “But he’ll be back in just a few days now.” 

“Yeah, he said three or four days last time we talked,” Sylvie recalled, “But that doesn’t stop me from missing him.” 

“Why don’t you make him something special for when he gets back?” Carlton suggested. 

“Yeah!” Chappy agreed, “Make him a drawing! A very special one for him.” 

Slowly, a grin crawled across Sylvie's face. “I know just what to do!” 

“Okay, just finished breakfast first,” Chappy laughed. 

The project took days to finish, and Sylvie was beginning to feel like he wouldn’t finish in time, but the night before Rick was supposed to get back, he finally finished. “I have something really cool for you when you get back!” Sylvie texted Rick. 

“Ooh! I’m so excited!” Rick texted back. 

Sylvie bounced up and down waiting for Rick to get back. 

“Calm down, Sylvester,” Chappy told him with a soft smile. 

“I can’t calm down! I’m too excited! I can’t wait for- he’s here!” Sylvie yelled. He dashed outside and ran into Rick to hug him. “I missed you so much!” 

“I missed you too, Sylvie!” Rick replied, then laughed, “Everyone back in the ocean knows it.” 

“I made you something! Want to see?” 

“Of course!” 

Sylvie took Rick’s hand, and dragged him inside. “Here!” Sylvie told him, proudly holding up his drawing. It was definitely one of his best. 

Rick took the picture from him gently. It was on all of his friends. Noah, Stan, Molly, Phoenica, Trixie, Indus… The list goes on and on. Everyone he’d met on his adventure was there. Right in the front was Sylvie sandwiched between Carlton and Chappy. Across the top in sea green, it said, “We love you!” 

“I love it!” Rick squeaked, feeling a little emotional. He’d missed everyone so much. 

“And look! See how it’s laminated? It’s so it won’t get ruined if it gets wet Next time you go visit your other family, you can take it with you! That way it will feel like we’re right there with you!” Sylvie told him. 

“It's the best gift I’ve ever been given! Thank you!” 

Sylvie hugged Rick again. “You’re welcome!” 

Sylvie remembered how badly he had just wanted to get to his house after everything was over. It hadn’t been quite like a home to him before the adventure, but it was something familiar that he had missed. He hadn’t realized that he was actually returning to something that would be a home, but they sure had made it a home together. His cold little house where he lived alone for the last couple of years actually felt like a home, all filled with things and people that made it warm.


End file.
